[Monocyte chemotaxis: critical evaluation of 2 methods of quantification]. / Quimiotaxis de monocitos: valoración crítica de dos métodos de cuantificación.

The mononuclear phagocytic system (Mo) possesses a series of well defined functions regarding both its circulatory components--monocytes--and histiocytic macrophages. These functions--antimicrobial defense, elimination of cellular particles or detritus, immunological interaction with lymphocytes cells, antitumoral defense and control of granulopoiesis--require chemotaxis and phagocytosis or preceding steps. Although knowledge of these functional aspects is continually becoming better--always assured by advances obtained in the study of the function and pathology of polymorphonuclear cells--, an authentic pathology of monocyte chemotaxis as an independent clinical entity doesn't exist. This is attributed to of these cells. The techniques currently in use differ not only in their methodology but also in their bases and thus the results obtained by various authors are not generally comparable. All this led us to do a comparative study, in control subjects, between two techniques which explore the chemotactic capacity of monocytes from peripheral blood. The chemotactic capacity of monocytes from peripheral blood in control subjects, measured by two distinct quantification methods, were studied: Radioanalytic Method (monocytes tagged with 99 mTc) and a morphological method (counting the number of monocytes per field in immersion). The results obtained from both techniques were very similar, the existence of significant differences in cell behavior with exposure to the different chemotactic substances used could not be demonstrated. These results are commented on.

[Levels of insulin, C-peptide and glucagon in the neonatal period]. / Estudio de los niveles de insulina, péptido-C y glucagon en el período neonatal.

Umbilical cord plasmatic levels of insulin, peptido-C and glucagon in two groups of normal and stressed newborns, in the first and third days of life and were measured and compared with those of their mothers. The levels of insulin were significantly higher in normal newborns (p less than 0.001) than in their mothers but not significant with those found in the stressed newborn. After three days of life the mean values on insuline were 14.67 +/- 7.2, without significant differences with the other two groups. The mean values of peptido-C were not significantly different in the three groups. The molar relation in every case was higher than 1. The levels of glucagon in umbilical cord of normal newborn were 196.42 +/- 51.45 with significant elevation (p less than 0.05) after three days of life. In stressed newborn group the values in umbilical cord were significantly higher (p less than 0.01) than the foud values in normal newborn.

Monocyte functional defects in rheumatoid arthritis.

Monocytes derived from peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) had a marked defect in their chemotactic and phagocytic activity. The chemotactic defect resides at a cellular level, while the phagocytic defect is serum-dependent. Both defects could be of importance in the pathogenicity of RA and the susceptibility to infection such patients show. Finally, monocytes were found to have a negative influence over spontaneous cytotoxicity mediated by T lymphocytes.